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How to refresh your home!

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Lori from Costandi Designs gives tips on how to refresh your home during the pandemic.

We are spending a ton more time in our homes these days. And I can’t be the only that is looking around with a critical eye and see all the things I’d like to change. But what can we do? We’re in the middle of a pandemic!!!
I’ve laid out a few ideas to help you make some changes in your home without breaking protocol!

  1. Rearrange the furniture – sometimes simply switching around a room can be enough of a change to scratch the itch.
  2. Shop your home – by looking around your home to see what you can borrow from another space, whether it is furniture, a rug, art or accessories, you can create a new look without leaving the house.
  3. Paint your walls – some of the local stores are still taking paint orders, like Chase’s on Prince Street, and they can mix it up, take payment over the phone and do a contactless pick up
  4. Paint your furniture – if you haven’t tried painting a piece of furniture, now is the time, I’ll warn you, it’s addictive! Give Phillips and Chestnut a call and make arrangements to get the right
    paint for your project!
  5. Contact your favourite local shop or artist – lots of small businesses and artists would be thrilled to sell you their wares and then you can create a new look in your home.
  6. Set up a virtual consultation – here at Costandi’s, we are offering virtual consultations if the project you want to tackle is something you need some expert advice on so feel free to give me
    call!

Let’s do our part the #flattenthecurve while still creating a safe sanctuary for our family.

Easy crafts at home!

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Jane Atkinson of the Colchester East Hants Public Library whipped up these great suggestions for keeping the kids (and adults) busy and creative at home!

At this time we all need help keeping our little ones occupied while isolated from friends and schoolmates. Here are some fun simple crafts and activities that can be made with things you probably
have at home.

  1. Using Up Those Empty Toilet Paper Rolls

Bunny Stencils

  1. Take 3 TP rolls and flatten 2 of them a bit to make an oval shape.
  2. Tape the 3 rolls together with the round one on the bottom with the two oval ones attached like large ears.
  3. Dip the end of this in the paint colour of your choice and press onto a sheet of paper. You’ll see the shape of a bunny’s head.
  4. Use different colours to make a lot of colourful bunnies!
  5. Using a marker or pencil, draw in the eyes nose, mouth and whiskers.
  6. You can colour or paint in grass around the bunny heads to make it look like they are in a field

Napkin Holder

  1. Take a TP roll and cut in half 
  2. Paint it with pretty colours or decorate it all over with markers.
  3. You can add glitter if you have it, or stickers/stick-on gems.
  4. Glue on frilly ribbon or lace – whatever makes them pretty!
  5. Slide a napkin through it and use at the supper table to glam it up!
  1. Cloud Dough (a sensory activity)
    1. Take 4 cups of flour in a large bowl and add ½ cup veg oil. 
    2. Mix until combined and holding together ( you may need to add extra oil depending on the dryness of the flour).
    3. Mold it to make your own creations. 
    4. Can store for one month in a plastic ziplock bag.

            (Another recipe calls for 2 cups cornstarch and about ¼ cup hair conditioner, which smells great!)

  1. Mandela Rocks
    1. In your backyard – or on a social distancing walk – find a smooth stone.
    2. Wash the rock and let it air dry. 
    3. You can paint a base coat with the colour of your choosing, or you can just add the Mandela dots to the natural surface
    4. Paint dots all over the stone using a variety of colours in a certain type of pattern or just do free painting.  It’s your unique creation!
  1. Monster/Animal Heads
    1. Using a cereal box or another type of cardboard box you might have on hand, cut out eyeholes that line up with your eyes when the box is put over your head (you may need an adult’s help with this).
    2. Use paint or markers to make a scary face or an animal face.
    3. Tape on shredded paper to the top of the box for hair or tape on antennae made from extra cardboard pieces.
    4. Have fun creating your own animal or scary monster head!
  1. Bow Tie Pasta Butterflies
    1. Use markers to colour bow tie pasta. Add designs on the pasta to look like colourful insects.
    2. Glue the pasta onto paper.
    3. Use a dark marker add antennae. 
    4. You can draw a scene around the butterflies and have them flying around flowers, etc.
  1. Window Painting
    1. Paint on your windows with washable paint to make a cheerful scene or message for your neighbours.